8 Questions for Anderson Silva

By: Marcelo AlonsoAug 27, 2011

Anderson Silva has won a record 13 straight fights in the UFC. |
Photo: Dave Mandel

At 36, Anderson
Silva has accumulated too many accomplishments to list. Already
regarded by some as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time,
the
UFC middleweight champion will defend his crown against
Yushin
Okami -- the last man to defeat him, albeit by disqualification
-- in the UFC
134 main event on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.

Few, if any, have lived the dream like Silva. The most dominant UFC
champion ever, he recently signed with 9ine, the sports marking
company owned by Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo. In addition,
Silva landed sponsorship deals with Nike and Sport Club Corinthians
Paulista, along with a promotional contract with Burger King. He
has taken MMA to a new level in the Brazilian mainstream media.

In this interview with Sherdog.com, Silva discusses his forthcoming
rematch with Okami, the long-awaited comeback of his friend,
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira, the possibility of moving up in weight, light
heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones’
dominance at 205 pounds and the secret behind what keeps him
motivated after nearly five years as champion.

Sherdog.com: Team Nogueira includes you,
Rodrigo Nogueira, Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira, Junior dos
Santos, Antonio
Silva, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza,
Mario
Sperry, Pedro Rizzo,
Erick
Silva, Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves and Josh
Janousek, in addition to coaches Luis Dorea, Ricardo De La
Riva, Ramon Lemos, Amaury
Bitetti and Cesario de Souza. How do you feel about the quality
of training at Team Nogueira?
Silva: It’s all about Rodrigo. Everybody loves him. We are an
extension of the work he’s been doing for years. Everybody likes
him so much that we’re all helping him succeed in his next fight
[against Brendan
Schaub at UFC 134]. At the same time, we help each other on our
own fights, focusing on victories and the victory of Team Nogueira.
We are working very head to achieve that.

Sherdog.com: I remember seeing you while you
were preparing in the United States to fight against Chael Sonnen
at UFC 117. You weren’t even close to the same level of motivation
and excitement you’ve shown while training in Brazil with your
friends at Team Nogueira. Here, we saw you joking around, having
fun and dancing. You even bring your kids. I think it’s pretty
clear that you prefer training in Brazil. Is that true?
Silva: Absolutely. Always. Here, I’m at home with friends, and it’s
totally different. We’re family here, and we’re always helping each
other. No question, my preparation is better here.

Yushin
Okami File Photo

Okami won by DQ in 2006.

Sherdog.com: Many people believe you are not
as motivated as you should be entering your rematch with Okami
since you are a heavy favorite and he does not have a big name. How
do you respond to that?
Silva: Not true at all. Every athlete who gets a chance to fight
for the UFC belt is well-trained and prepared, so you need to keep
it together and stay focused in order to not be surprised. Okami
always comes in well-prepared, so I’m training hard to make sure
that people are right when they say I’m the favorite and to come
back with the result that we’re hoping to get -- a victory. I’m
always trained and motivated.

Sherdog.com: What do you think about Okami
training with Sonnen -- more marketing than truth?
Silva: I don’t know if they’re training together or not. I just
know that I’m training and training a lot. I’m looking forward to
making a good fight and pleasing the Brazilian fans. I don’t have
much to say. I just train and do my job in the Octagon.

Sherdog.com: You are really close to
“Minotauro,” and you two are preparing and training together to
fight on the same night. What are the emotions like seeing him back
in training and finally healthy?
Silva: He looks really good in training; he’s catching everyone. He
looks quick and agile. If you land in his game, you’re done.
Rodrigo is the greatest example of overcoming life’s adversities
that I’ve ever had. Everyone’s excited about his fight. I’m even
more excited and more concerned with his fight than I am with mine.
When he started physical therapy [after his hip and knee
surgeries], we didn’t think he would be able to come back at 100
percent and fight. In training, he’s shown the opposite, as he’s
even faster and more agile than before. We’re all hoping he’ll win
his fight. His victory will be our victory, as well.

Sherdog.com: UFC President Dana White said in
an interview with Combate Channel that he would love to see you
fight at light heavyweight again because you have put on good shows
every time you have fought there. Do you still think about moving
up in weight?
Silva: My focus is on staying at middleweight. I’ve had the
opportunity to fight in Pride [Fighting Championships] as a light
heavyweight, and I also fought there in the UFC -- to prove myself
and see what it was like. It was great, but I don’t have that
ambition. Of course, it’s all a matter of negotiation, but my
desire is to stay at middleweight.

Sherdog.com: Let’s talk about the guys who are
at light heavyweight. Do you see anyone who can beat champion Jon
Jones today?
Silva: Oh, Jon Jones has some good momentum going. I think he’s
getting better as an athlete and always shows some development and
better technique. He’s evolving a lot. To me, today, I don’t see
anyone who has enough to beat him. Of course, no one is unbeatable.
He’s overcoming adversities and learning every day. He’s a guy who
really can adapt to all types of techniques and has everything he
needs to keep the belt for a long time. He is reigning at his
weight and surpassing all expectations. He was absolutely superior
in most of his fights so far, but when you become champion, the
pressure changes. He now has to live out the responsibilities of a
champion and deal with the pressure to succeed as a champion. I
hope he knows how to handle it, because it’s not easy at all.

Sherdog.com: You know better than anyone else
how that pressure works because you have been living with it for a
long time, having broken records as champion of the UFC. How would
you describe the pressure involved with becoming and remaining UFC
champion and how have you stayed motivated for so long?
Silva: You have to have focus and remember where you came from,
where you are and where you want to go. Focus is very important. Me
and my team got here, even though many people didn’t think we would
ever reach this level. We were always very humble, listing and
respecting all the coaches, always observing and studying all the
opponents a lot. I think this is the path: always work hard and
always be motivated to do the job right.